Renegade

Chapter 11

Derek guided Meredith into the bar. It seemed this establishment had a weird obsession with dark wood. It looked like a cabin owned by some rich guy who liked to drug and hunt people for sport. He walked towards the bar and saw the built, grey-haired, thirty-year-old. 

"Mark!" He called out. Mark immediately turned to face him. He slipped an arm around Derek's waist and pulled him into a deep kiss. After a second or two Derek pushed him away. It seemed rude and wrong to make out with someone in front of Meredith. "This is my friend, Meredith. She's the reason your cockblocked this trip."

Mark eyed Derek for a second then moved his sight to Meredith. He paused then gave her a warm smile and held out his hand, "Mark Sloan."

"Meredith Grey." She introduced herself. 

"Well since you two now know each other, I need to go to the restroom. I'll be back in a few minutes. Try not to tell each other anything that will make my life worse." Derek said and got up and left.

*While Derek was away*

"So Mark," Meredith said awkwardly. "I've heard a lot about you."

"You have?" He chucked.

"Yup." Meredith nodded. "You're in love with him right?"

Mark coughed, turned to her, and laughed, "since I was fifteen."

Meredith shook her head, "he's an idiot."

"Sure is." Mark agreed.

"Why haven't you ever tried with him?"  Meredith asked. 

"He's never been ready. He thinks he's too fucked up to be in anything real." Mark sighed. 

"It's been twenty years," Meredith said. 

"You think I should move on?" Mark asked.

"I mean- it's none of my business, but, maybe you should talk to him," Meredith said. 

"I know I should," Mark said. "But if I'm being honest, I'm scared shitless. When I met him, he was this small dorky cute kid in the ninth grade. He had way too many opinions and way too much confidence. I fell in love with him during our first conversation. He got me to come out. I never told him, but I knew what my parent's reaction would be. Which was to all but abandon me. I just wanted to make him happy. I would do anything for the guy, including wait twenty years."

"If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you're scared that it's not the right thing. Even if you're scared that it'll cause problems. Even if you're scared that it will burn your life to the ground, you say it, and you say it loud and you go from there."  Meredith said. 

Mark laughed, "That's a load of bullshit."

"Probably," Meredith said. "But you owe it to yourself to have an honest conversation with him."

"Can I ask you a question?" Mark asked. 

"Shoot," Meredith said. 

"Are you in love with him too?" Mark asked. 

"Yup," she said taking a sip of her beer. 

"Hypocrite," Mark laughed. 

"I'm only a hypocrite if I wait twenty years." Meredith laughed. 

"The man doesn't deserve us." Mark laughed.

"No, he does not."  Meredith agreed.

**

"You guys getting along?" Derek said, walking back towards the bar. 

"You got yourself a good friend here," Mark said, patting Meredith on the shoulder. 

"Excuse me, Sir?" Someone in a uniform said to Derek.

"Yes?" Derek turned to her.

"I'm sorry, but we have a strict, no flip flop policy. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said. 

"Fabulous." Derek grinned then turned to Mark, "You heard her, I guess we have to go to a normal fucking bar."

"You're a dick." Mark laughed and got up. The three of them walked out and found a new place to spend the rest of the night.

(What do you guys think of the whole, Mer/Der/Mark love triangle thing? What's do you think is gonna happen)